US stocks opened higher on Monday, with the S&P 500 hitting a new intraday record amid corporate merger activity and as hopes grew for more monetary stimulus in European markets.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 64.67 points or 0.38%, to 17,065.89, the S&P 500 gained 8.29 points or 0.42%, to 1,996.69 and the Nasdaq Composite added 26.17 points or 0.58%, to 4,564.72.